Chapter 15

Julie tossed her last pair of jeans into the growing pile of clothes strewn across the bed and blew out an exasperated sigh as her hands fisted on her hips.

“Well, that’s it, Penny. It’s official. That’s everything I brought with me. And I don’t have a single thing I can wear out tonight. Maybe I shouldn’t go at all.”

“No. No. No. You’re going on the date. Jules, you have to go.” Penny sat beside the mound of clothes. “Want to go into my room and see if I have something you can borrow?”

Julie blew a raspberry. “Oh please, like your clothes would fit me.”

“Oh, Julie. There has to be something you can wear.” Penny pulled a gray skirt from the pile. “What about this? I have a cute cardigan. It would go perfect. Look.”

Penny spread the wool skirt out flat on the bed and tucked Julie’s white blouse into the waist of the skirt.

“Watch this.” Penny sprinted into the adjoining room and returned carrying a pink sweater.

She fit the soft cardigan around the blouse and skirt, then stood back to admire her work. “That is spot on. Sheer perfection,” she remarked smugly.

“It’s not bad. This might just work,” agreed Juliette. A smile took her face as she met Penny’s gaze. “Good eye.”

“That ties it. You must go on the date now. We found the perfect outfit. It’s meant to be.” A grin widened across Penny’s face.

In unison, their heads whipped toward the sound of a knock at the door.

Juliette glanced at her watch and panic took her smile. “Oh my gosh! It’s already seven. It must be him!”

Penny padded across the room and peeked through the peep hole in the door. Against the door, she whispered, “You’re right. It’s him.”

Penny’s gaze remained on the peephole as if she couldn’t stop staring at the handsome man who stood on the other side.

Penny turned back toward her friend, a Cheshire cat grin lighting her face. “He’s posh in a dark gray suit and matching shirt. With that dark hair and those eyes, he’s the picture of sophistication. Oh, how I envy you. If I wasn’t married…” she mused wistfully, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath.

“I’m going to tell Frank you said that,” joked Juliette.

Penny laughed.

“Somehow I don’t imagine Frank would care. He knows he’s got me stuck to him now that his baby is in my belly. Besides, a girl can look, can’t she? And luv,” she continued without taking a breath, “that is one man I’d never get tired of looking at.”

Juliette giggled. “Penny, what am I going to do? I’m not dressed.”

“I’ll go chat him up while you finish getting ready.” Penny opened the door just wide enough for her petite figure to fit through.

“Hi,” greeted Penny joyfully and pulled the door shut behind her.

Juliette stood before the full-length mirror. After donning the chosen outfit, she smoothed the gray wool skirt and sighed as she noted how the pink cashmere sweater bunched open around the buttons. Julie quickly undid the buttons so the sweater hung loosely about her trunk. It still hugged her body more than she would have liked, but it would have to do.

Scrutinizing the image in the mirror, she had to admit she had her mother’s body, and no matter how little she ate or how much she worked out, those curves stayed in place.

Of course, her father had never minded her mother’s curves. She envied their relationship. Julie missed having someone she could come home to, someone she knew would be there for her to lean on and confide in, to laugh with and love, even if that person, like Steve, didn’t appreciate her curves. Jules shook the thought from her mind and returned her attention to the moment at hand.

She pulled at the sweater hoping to stretch it so it might be a tad looser, then ran her fingers over her hair to smooth down the strays. There’s nothing more I can do. Here goes nothing, she thought and turned to leave.

****

“I am looking forward to spending some time with our Juliette. When do you think she will be ready?”

“Soon.” Her gaze roamed his full height, drinking him in.

When he flashed her a grin, she seemed off balance. “Shall we sit down while we wait for her?”

“Sounds like a grand idea.”

Penny hooked her arm into Nicholai’s proffered elbow, and the two found a place in the lobby where they could wait for Juliette’s appearance.

The pair remained deep in conversation. Nicholai seized on the opportunity to speak to Julie’s friend alone and peppered Penny with questions, trying to discern as much information about his heartmate’s past and present as possible.

“So you are telling me she is a widow?” Concern drew his lips down into a frown.

“Yes, and she had two daughters. An accident took all three of them.”

“That is tragic. I do not know how she can handle such unbearable pain.”

Jealousy over the fact she’d once loved another man warred with protectiveness of wanting to shield her from the pain she’d suffered at his loss. Intellectually, he realized he should not be jealous of her dead spouse. If anything, he should be glad she had been able to find love. However, his desire to protect her from anything that would cause her pain made it difficult for him to rejoice in the knowledge she’d once shared her life with another man.

“How old were the gir—”

The sight of Juliette descending the stairs interrupted Nicholai’s next question. A vision, her skirt and sweater clung to her in all the right places and showed off her feminine curves. The pink from her sweater brightened her complexion, giving her cheeks a healthy, rosy glow. The light from the sconces on the wall reflected in her shiny, chestnut hair to make highlights as it swayed with each step. She was the most beautiful woman Nicholai had ever seen in all his long years.

With fluidity only one of his kind possessed, he rose from the chair and sauntered toward the stairs, his eyes never leaving Juliette. He extended his hand and captured hers as she maneuvered the final three steps. Raising her hand to his lips, he planted a gentle kiss on the back of it when she reached the bottom of the staircase.

“Good evening,” he greeted, retaining possession of her hand.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.” She glanced up, and his hazel eyes caught hers.

“For you, my dear Juliette, I would wait an eternity.” I basically have.

“Am I dressed okay?” Julie tugged on her sweater. “I wasn’t sure what I should wear.”

“You are perfect the way you are. You look beautiful, Juliette.” She trembled slightly at the sound of her name on his lips.

“So where are you going?” Penny asked, reminding Nicholai she remained in the room.

“I have made reservations for us.”

“At The Cold Shoulder?” Penny guessed.

“No. I want to introduce Juliette to some of the other fine establishments my country has to offer. It is a surprise. If that is okay with you, Juliette.” He gave her a teasing smirk, then took the coat draped over her arm.

As he helped her into the wrap, she replied, “Of course. That’s fine. I like surprises.”

“Then shall we go, my dear?” Nicholai offered Julie his arm.

“Absolutely,” she agreed, and wove her arm with his. Julie looked over her shoulder as they headed for the door. “Goodbye, Penny.”

“Have fun.” Penny waved, then muttered under her breath, “I know you will.”

While too low for Julie to hear, Nicholai’s preternatural hearing had no trouble discerning the comment. It brought a smile to his face while he and Julie exited the door of the inn.

A blast of chilly, winter air hit them when they emerged into the night. The scent of fresh snow tickled his nose. A shiver went through Julie, and he tucked her under his shoulder. He wished he could transport her instantly to the warmth awaiting them in the restaurant he’d chosen. Unfortunately, while dematerializing might be easy for him, he knew of no vampire who could transport others. They had no choice except to make their way to the restaurant the old-fashioned way, in his car. But at least it would be a comfy ride.

After a short drive, Nicholai led her inside the fancy, old-world restaurant. They sat in soft chairs made of crushed blue velvet around a table covered by white linen. The centerpiece, a single candle floating in a clear round bowl, lit Juliette’s features and made her eyes sparkle.

Nicholai found himself with a grin as wide as a schoolboy’s. His hot gaze traveled down his heartmate’s body to the hand which lay on the round table. His desire to touch her, to caress the smoothness of her skin, seemed too fierce to rein in, so he placed his own large hand on top of hers. It gave him a sense of completion to feel her creamy softness beneath his fingers.

The warmth from the caress sent sparks of lightning up his arm, and Juliette must have experienced it too for her breath quickened its pace. Nicholai noticed the change, watched her bosom rise and fall with each breath. It was tantalizing, hypnotic. He could observe her body’s reaction to his touch all night but reluctantly pulled his gaze higher when he realized he stared at her chest.

Nicholai barely spared their server a glance as she came to the table and removed the empty bowls from the third course. He refused to take his eyes from his mate for more than a second. “How did you enjoy the silonka?”

Juliette’s gaze met his. “I loved it. You have good taste. Thank you for ordering it. I can’t wait to see what else you’ve chosen for tonight.”

“Thank you.” He gave Julie a slight nod of acknowledgement.

“You’re welcome, sir,” the waitress replied.

When the grin slipped from Juliette’s face, jealousy lit her eyes.

Nicholai fought the grin. He found her jealousy endearing, if unwarranted. He only had eyes for his Juliette. Knowing she needed a distraction, he asked, “So what do you think of this place? Do you like it?”

Julie glanced around at their surroundings. The restaurant boasted ivory-colored walls which met ornate crown molding. They sat directly across from a stone fireplace, the heat from which blushed Julie’s cheeks. He hoped she would love the meal and the setting enough to grant him a second date.

“Oh, yes,” she finally stated. “This place is gorgeous, elaborate really.”

The waitress gingerly placed the fine china plates down on top of the gold chargers that lay on their table. The plates made a delicate clinking sound like the plucked strings of an angel’s harp. The musical sound drew Julie’s attention, and she glanced down at the food placed before her.

“What is this?” she inquired of Nicholai.

“It is Chicken Kiev.”

At Juliette’s insistence, Nicholai had ordered their entire meal from the rassolnik to the piroshky. All seven courses had been carefully chosen to give her an authentic taste of Russian cuisine. He wanted to immerse her in his culture, the culture she would be a part of once she agreed to be his.

“And what’s that?” she asked with a smile and a slight giggle in her voice.

“It is chicken and herbs wrapped in bread crumbs and fried.”

“Chicken? I’m glad it’s chicken. I feared it would be some kind of fish. I know Russians love their fish, but the only fish I’ll eat is salmon.”

“We are renowned for our seafood,” Nicholai observed. He gently rubbed his index finger across the back of her hand before reluctantly withdrawing his hand in order to cut his food.

“Speaking of seafood, one thing I’ve never tried is caviar.”

Nicholai’s grin widened. “We will fix that tonight, my beloved.”

He raised his hand above his head, and their server immediately appeared at his side.

While Nicholai relayed his instructions in Russian, Julie turned her attention to the food and took a bite of the Chicken Kiev.

“Mmmmm,” she hummed. “This is scrumptious.”

“I am unfamiliar with the term. What is scrumptious?”

“It means very, very good,” Julie explained.

“Ahhhhh, like you. I’m glad you like it. So tell me about your family.” Nicholai forked another bite into his mouth.

“There’s not much to tell.”

“Are your mother and father still alive?” he pressed.

“Oh yes, they are very much alive and well. They live in a town called Camdin Falls. It’s in Virginia, in the US.”

Nicholai grinned. “I know where Camdin Falls is.”

“Really? Most people have never heard of it.”

“I have a friend who lives there.”

“You do?” Shock widened her eyes incredulously. “Seriously?”

“Yes. I’ve known him for years,” he said. “In fact, Alexander and I go way back.”

Just how far back, he couldn’t tell Julie. Alexander was a member of the Alpha Council. The two of them had been fighting evil together for over a century.

“I have been to Camdin Falls on several occasions.”

“You’re kidding,” Julie commented dubiously.

Nicholai had been there many times, one of which had been to work with Alex to take out a vampire who had set up a human-feeding slave operation on farmland just outside of town. Nicholai thought it best to change the subject before she pressed him on why he had been in her hometown.

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?” he further inquired.

“Yes, I have one sister, but she doesn’t live in Camdin Falls. She lives in New York.”

“Ah, New York. I enjoyed my time there.”

“You’ve been a lot of places,” Julie observed.

“I get around.” Nicholai gave a cryptic shrug of his broad shoulders.

“You are so young to have done so much traveling.”

A wryly expression crossed his face. “Oh, I’m older than I look.”

His comment gave Juliette pause. “But I thought…”

When she swallowed the comment, he pushed, “You thought what?”

Julie’s cheek turned a deeper shade of red, giving her a sheepish appearance. “Oh, nothing.”

“Please tell me what you were going to say.”

“You look like you are in your early twenties. I am a bit older than that.”

“So you believe you are older than me?”

“By at least fifteen years.” Julie shifted uncomfortably. “I hope that isn’t an issue.”

Nicholai leaned over, resting his forearms on each side of his plate. “I have seen a lot in my time. Enough to realize where I want to be, and who I want to be with.”

Relief softened her features. She patted her lips with the napkin from her lap and replaced it before she looked at him. His eyes darkened, burrowed into her soul until he captured her with the stark passion in his gaze. She leaned forward. He easily read her intention to kiss him and was all too happy to meet her across the table.

Their waitress chose that most inopportune moment to saunter up to their table, carrying a bucket of champagne in one arm and a glass container in the other. She set the champagne down first, then slipped the glass vessel into the middle of the table between the couple, effectively breaking the magnetic pull between their bodies.

Nicholai let out a disappointed sigh. “The caviar has arrived.”

He moved his chair around the table, so he sat beside Julie instead of across from her.

“Are you ready to take your first bite of the food of the gods?”

He took a small piece of blini from the container and placed a portion of Beluga Caviar on the tiny mother-of-pearl spoon. He topped the creation with a dab of crème fraîche and fed her the concoction.

“Well, what do you think?” His brows rose with curiosity.

Julie covered her mouth with her hand. “It’s salty…but good,” she replied hesitantly. “I like it. But it is too much food. With so many courses, I can’t possibly eat much more.”

“I noticed you haven’t been eating too much. Tell me why. Do you not like what I chose?”

Julie shook her head emphatically. “I love what you have chosen. I’m just watching my figure.”

“I have been watching your figure all night. I can assure you it looks good to me.” Nicholai winked and gave her a mischievous grin. Julie blushed and glanced away.

“I’m glad you liked the caviar. I hoped you would, especially with the sweet crème fraîche.”

“You say crème fraîche perfectly. Do you speak French?” Julie asked.

“Oui, mademoiselle. Je parle Français. Et tous?”

“I have no idea what you said,” Julie admitted.

“I said yes, I speak French. How about you?”

“No. I’m not nearly as good as you at speaking languages. I’m lucky I was able to learn enough Russian to get by on this trip.”

Nicholai smiled. He slowly lifted the topped blini to her lips. His stomach clenched when her lips brushed his fingers as they closed around his offering. His inner beast banged its fists against its chest in triumph as he fed her. Providing for his mate was as instinctual as mating itself. Today he would provide, soon he would mate. A satisfied growl threatened to tear from his throat.

“French is but one of the languages I speak.”

Julie swallowed the caviar. “Wow! You speak Russian, English, and French. Just how many languages do you speak?”

“I can also speak Spanish and Italian.”

“Italian is such a beautiful language. Say something,” she commanded dreamily.

Immediately, the perfect phrase came to mind.

“Ti amo, Cara.”

“What did you say?”

“Ya tebya lyublyu,” he repeated in Russian.

“What does it mean in English?”

He couldn’t yet tell her. She wasn’t ready to hear his declaration of love though his heart wanted him to say “I love you” yet again.

“One day I will tell you,” he promised, and prepared another blini with the caviar and crème mixture.

“Why not tell me now?”

“Because, my dear Juliette, if you wish to find out what I said, I will require something from you first.”

“What is that?”

“I want to see you again. To find out what it means, I require at least one more date with you before I tell you.” Nicholai took her hand in his. “I have so enjoyed our time together. Did you enjoy it as well, my dear?”

“Yes,” she admitted readily, her eyes down cast on her plate at the half-eaten food.

“Then will you come out with me again tomorrow night? It will be a grand adventure. I promise. Please say yes.”

“How can I resist an offer like that? Yes.” Julie pushed her uneaten food around her plate. “Where will we be going?”

Nicholai steepled his fingers. “I think it will be a surprise.”

Nicholai easily read the thoughts that brought a resplendent grin to brighten Julie’s beautiful face.

I love surprises, especially ones that involve spending time with an incredibly handsome man. I have no idea how he knows, but somehow he seems to know things about me, knows exactly what to do and say.

Of course, being in her mind gave him an unfair advantage, but there was no way he would chance doing or saying the wrong thing and driving her away.

“What should I wear?”

A half-smile pulled at one corner of his lips. “Women and clothes. Are you always worried about what to wear?” He chuckled and gave her button nose a gentle bop with his finger. “Something comfortable you can walk around in. Jeans and a sweater should be fine.”

“What time should I be ready?”

“I’ll arrive at the inn after the sun goes down.”

Juliette nodded enthusiastically. Suddenly her face dropped. “Wait. I forgot. I can’t go.”

Nicholai’s heart clenched.